1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a system including a card processing apparatus used, for example, in an application mode in which IC cards functioning as a plurality of different kinds of electronic devices having different interface specifications are received.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, as a portable data storage medium, attention has been paid to an IC card including an IC chip having a non-volatile memory and a control device such as a CPU for controlling the memory.
In this type of IC card, commands corresponding to various applications such as a banking system or a shopping system are supported. By using these commands, the area of the memory is divided into a plurality of areas, and data to be used in a predetermined application is stored, referred to, or erased in the corresponding individual area.
A system for using a plurality of file areas prepared by dividing a memory area of an IC card in response to an external command is known in, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,161,256.
There is a tendency to standardize some of these commands. Accordingly, compatibility between IC cards designed by different card designers is ensured with respect to the standardized commands.
However, those commands which are not to be standardized are designed voluntarily by card designers. In this case, it is highly possible that commands supported by IC cards produced by different card designers are formatted and encoded in different manners. In other words, it is highly possible that application processes realized by these commands are substantially incompatible.
In addition, even if IC cards are supplied by the same card designer, compatibility may be lost due to change of versions.